The history of the first locomotives in America. From original ...

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HISTORY OF THE FIRST LOCOMOTIVES IN AMERICA.
drawing a car filled with editors and otlier representa-
tives of tlie press, it ran into a cow, and tlie passengers,
having been tilted out and rolled down an embankment,
were naturally enough im^animous in condemning
the contrivance. And so the horse-power car, after
countless had jokes had been perpetrated on the cowed
editors, passed out of existence, and probably out of
mind.
Following the horse-power car came the Meteor,
This was a sailing-vehicle, the invention of Mr. Evan
Thomas, who was, perhaps, the first person, as already
mentioned, who advocated railroads in Baltimore. The
Meteor required a good gale to drive it, and would only
run when the wind was what sailors call abaft, or on
the quarter. Head-winds were fatal to it, and Mr,
Thomas was afraid to trust a strong side-wind lest the
vehicle might be upset ; so it rarely made its appearance
except a northwester was blowing, when it would be
dragged out to the farther end of the Mount Clair embankment,
and come back, literally with flying colors.
The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad being the first in operation
in this country, and almost the first in the world
for the transportation of passengers and merchandise,
of course was visited by crowds from almost every sec-
tion of the United States, as well as from parts of Eu-
rope, Among them was Baron Krudener, envoy from
Russia, who, by invitation of Mr, Thomas, made an ex-
cursion in the sailing-car, managing the sail himself.
On his return from the trip, he declared he had never
before travelled so agreeably, Mr, Thomas caused a
model sailing-car to be constructed, which he presented
to the baron, with the respects of the company, to be forwarded
to the emperor. This courtesy on the part of
Mr, Thomas was handsomely acknowledged by the baron.
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